The World Keeps Turning
by Sarah Sanderson
Summary: My emotional response to the UK EU referendum. The Marauders and co are at the end of their final year waiting up to here the results of a very important vote happening in the Wisengot. The result and how they respond to it will define them. James's pov so obviously some James/Lily going on. T for language


_Written in response to my feelings to the UK voting to leave the EU and all of the uncertainty and change that means. Whatever happens now this will be the definer of my generation, so it got me thinking about my favourite fictional generation and their fight and a few parallels appeared. Whatever side of the referendum you were on I hope you enjoy this – first thing I've written in a while. But if your writers you'll know sometimes you just have to vent._

 **Gryffindor Common Room**

 **24** **th** **April 1978**

 **6:00am**

Peter snored from his spot curled up on the best arm chair. James got the feeling he was only staying up because the rest of them were and didn't really care to stay awake. James in contrast was kneeling in front of the wizarding wireless like it was his alter. The news alert team had promised the night before to report live the moment the votes were counted so half of Gryffindor had decided to stay up waiting and drinking. A very drunk Marline had to be escorted to bed by Lily an hour before, and Peter was far from the only one to fall asleep as dawn light filtered through the windows.

Sirius was lying sprawled out on the floor, head pushed back so he could still eye the wireless from his position, a half drunk bottle of firewiskey held loosely and seemingly forgotten in his right hand. Remus and Lily were sitting cross-legged by what remained on the fire having a heated if not slurred conversation about some up and coming bureaucrat who's just been made Head of the Improper Use of Magic Office that Lily found physically repulsive.

"Do you remember when she was here? Even Slughorn hated her. No one like that should ever get any real power you know? Like if we know what she's like then what the hell if the Ministry thinking appointing her – surely they _know_ " Lily took a swig of her pumpkin mauled wine.

"I think that's just the point though Lils – they _do know_. And enough of them secretly agree with her that they want her in power. If she's a high up in the Ministry and coming out with all this elitist crap then -" he gave a great hiccup and held his head wincing "-then they can come out with a little more of what they think without fear of being called bigots or anything"

Lily nodded soberly "So as long as they are less extreme, a little watered down version of whomever the highest paid fanatic in the ministry is then they can get away with saying awful things" She lay back then, stretching her acing legs out flat across the old crimson carpet. Her left foot prodding Sirius's playfully. Sirius put his tongue out at her in respond before seemly noticing the bottle in his hand for the first time in an hour. James stared at Lily, his eyes burning round the edges from lack of sleep. And maybe something else. Her hair seemed to glow blood red in the light of the dying embers, her skin flushed for over 3 hours of passionate political debate. There had been worry lines round her eyes and mouth all night but she'd been doing a valiant job hiding how close to home this vote was. Her family were muggles after all.

James dipped his head, staring at nothing in particular. He'd lost his parents at the start of the year and he could still feel the loss like a ragged tear though him. But Lily was putting him back together. God he loved her. He'd idolised her for years of course but this was different. She had a strength to her, and a frailty, beautifully and tragically in balance. She had all these threads of opinions and emotions running though her that all weaved together and made her unmistakably _her_. He shared most of her beliefs but there was something so unique to her in the way she held them. But this was personal. This was her world view shattering, her hope slipping, her family's safety slipping out of her fingers. He knew the pain of loss and he'd survived it because of her, and all he could do was prey he wouldn't have to do the same for her any time soon. That he wouldn't have to see her once her threads broke.

There was a crackle from the wireless as the second hour of Celestina Warbeck's warbling was interrupted for the promised news broadcast. _Finally_.

" _The Wizengamot has just now realised their verdict on the emergency edict. In response to the rise in seemingly magic related deaths of muggles in Great Brittan they were asked to vote on whether the Ministry should form an unprecedented level of alliance with the Muggle Government or to declare and official state of emergency and close contact with the muggle community. And I have the results here…"_

Everyone had gone completely still. James actually was praying and both Lily and Sirius had sat bolt upright. Remus was shaking his head as if already consoling himself.

" _13 votes for the muggle alliance_ " Lily was making a low whining noise she seemed unaware of and some of the Gryddinfor boys in the far corner had started shaking. One girl was crying. " _37 votes for an isolated state of emergency"._ James let out a harsh croaking gasp of air he hadn't realised he'd been holding and deflated, putting his head against the hard wood of the floor.

"We're done for" Lily was shaking now "The worlds descending into madness"

Remus was staring blankly at Peter's snoring form, seemingly in shock. There was a rushing sound in James ears and he felt like all of them together were standing on the edge of a great precipice just about to plunge down.

"Madness" Lily was muttering again and again. James forced himself to his feet and dragged his weary body over to her. She seemed to stop breathing when his arms went around her. He rubbed her back desperately trying to reassure her until she took in a great gasping gulp of air and started sobbing. "We're done for aren't we" _Not helping Remus_.

Sirius was seething on the carpet. "They have no right – no right! They have fucking fucked us all and they have no right! A load of old stuck up pure bloods thinking their lives matter more – fucking turds" A girl in the corner squeaked at his language and disappeared up the girls stares. The boys she was with started slowly heading up to bed. There was one first year sitting by the window, silent tears soaking his face. James wondered if she was muggle born, or had squib family, or just sympathised like a human being should damn it. Lily's tears tore right though his chest, ripples of despair coming off her in waves. James could feel his blood boiling. He wasn't hopeless, he was angry. Before he could say anything to that point Sirius beat him too it.

"Your parents would be so pissed" James jaw set as his best mate started passing. "All they fought for – all the progress we've made over the last few generations! Muggle rights and all those campaigns against that toxic bigoted crap heap of a mind-set. We were changing, we were getting better"

"We are better" Remus cut in with a bitter smirk. "We are all better than this. But get people scared enough and they will always lash out and become hateful."

"Everything is going to change now isn't it?" Lily was looking at him, her expression unreadable. James put his head against hers "yeah, yeah it is. But we're going to change with it. We're going to fight this"

"How?" Alice Fortescue spoke up from where she was lying on her back, head lolling over the side of a battered old yellow sofa. James hadn't even noticed the quiet girl was there, clearly listening in. He only really knew her as one of Marline's friends from the gobstones club.

"I hear Dumbledore is putting something – some kind of resistance separate of the ministry" Longbottom spoke up from the floor under the notice board. Sirius stopped pacing and stared at him, something building behind his eyes. "So what, we join up?" Alice's meek little voice still faint but growing stronger. "We fight this" Lily with a sudden fire behind her eyes. James hadn't even noticed she'd stopped sobbing. Remus was nodding "Whatever Dumbledore is up to I'm in" and then as a quiet afterthought "For whatever I'm worth" Sirius was breathing very hard. "It's worth a lot – we all are. If we all band together – if we fight this…"

"It may not be enough" Peter awake just in time to be the voice of pessimism.

"It'll have to be. Someone's got to do something – and if not us then who?" Lily shifted in James' arms so she could grasp his hand. He swore he's never stop being blown away by her strength. She was eyeing everyone left in the room as if checking their courage. They all sat up a little straighter under her inspection.

 _So this is it. This is our fight_. James could feel himself paling at the sobering thought. But there was also something building inside him. Graduation was next week, then they would be adults in the big wide world. He'd no idea what he wanted to do but looking at Lily he found that it didn't matter. He'd do whatever she did. He's follow her into bloody battle and certain death for the hope of fixing the world that had so suddenly nosedived back into the dark ages it seemed. It felt like he was falling – plummeting. Faster and faster. But looking at the fire in Lily's eyes, the flame of her hair – he could almost see her heart beating like the drums to war.

As soon as the sun was properly up he was going to the headmaster's office to sign up to whatever plan he had. To volunteer for war. He highly doubted he'd be alone. It was a grim thought, young as they were to volunteer for what felt like a war against the whole world gone mad. But where was a glimmer of hope in the plummeting terror. That silver lining he'd been looking for since he'd lost his parents. First thing he was going to Dumbledore – and then he was going to ask Lily to marry him.


End file.
